Shakur Stevenson might be frustrated that he hasn’t locked in a fight with Gervonta Davis, but don’t get it twisted—he’s got nothing but respect for the WBA Lightweight champion. The 27-year-old knew exactly where he stood in the boxing business, and when it came to making the Tank fight happen, he understood one thing: It had to come from Tank himself. In an interview a few years ago, the Newark Southpaw made it clear—he wanted that fight more than anything. But he also knew he was not the one who could make it happen. “I don’t know,” Stevenson replied when asked why the fight hadn’t been made. “I can’t tell you. I’m not Tank. At the end of the day… He’s the big star. He’s the pay-per-view star. I can’t throw no offers to Tank. Who am I to throw an offer to the biggest star in boxing? What am I going to offer him?” he said.

Fast forward to 2025, fresh off his 9th-round TKO win against Josh Padley at The Last Crescendo, he’s on the hunt for his next fight. And while he knows he can’t be the one making offers to Tank, it looks like he is keeping an option ready at hand in case the unification bout fails to happen.

Shakur Stevenson open to swapping opponents with Gervonta Davis

In an interview with Boxing Social on the sidelines of the Mikaela Mayer-Sandy Ryan clash in Las Vegas, Shakur Stevenson admitted that he is keeping his options open when it comes to his next fight. He made it clear—he wants a big fight. When asked who he’d like to fight next, he revealed that he hopes to fight the winner of the Gervonta Davis vs. Lamont Roach Jr. rematch in June. However, if Tank refuses to give Roach his rematch, “I will fight Lamont Roach,” he posited. “Or Tank, if Tank wants to swap.” The Newark native is fine with fighting either of the two. In short, he’s just looking for the best opportunity out there, whichever way it comes.

The reporter then asked him about a potential showdown with Gervonta Davis, pointing out that it would be the “biggest fight” in boxing. The reporter also asked if he thought Tank needed to defeat Lamont Roach Jr. first before being eligible to fight him.

The WBC lightweight champion’s response? Nah, “I don’t think he have to,” Shakur Stevenson replied. In a lavish praise of his long-time rival, the 27-year-old then added, “He’s [Gervonta Davis] one of the biggest star of the sport. So he can do whatever he wants.”

The 23-0 boxer wants the Gervonta Davis fight, sooner rather than later. And honestly? He’s got good reason. If the rumors are true, the Baltimore native could retire after just a few more fights, which means there’s a ticking clock on Stevenson’s chance to face him while he’s still in his prime. But here’s the catch—nobody really knows who the 30-year-old wants to fight next. Despite reports that the Lamont Roach Jr. rematch is being finalized, there hasn’t been much in terms of an update on that front. Since Shakur Stevenson can’t be the one to send in the offer, his best bet is to be patient and let the opportunity come to him. However, looks like he might not have to wait much longer.

Eddie Hearn has a timeline for the Stevenson-Davis fight

Eddie Hearn, recently sat down with Fight Hub TV to break down what’s next for the 27-year-old champion. During the interview, the reporter brought up the William Zepeda vs. Tevin Farmer rematch and asked if the winner (which ended up being Zepeda) would get a shot at Stevenson.

Now that William Zepeda’s won the rematch, Stevenson vs. Zepeda makes the most sense—but there’s an even bigger twist. Hearn also made it clear that they’re willing to wait until September for a mega fight with the Baltimore native—as long as Tank gets through his rematch with Lamont Roach Jr. “But at the same time, we’ll go straight into a Tank fight if they want. Tank’s fighting, I think, on June 21st. We’re happy to wait till September for that fight, ” Eddie Hearn stated.

This means, that if Shakur Stevenson vs. William Zepeda doesn’t get locked in soon, we might finally get Shakur Stevenson vs. Gervonta Davis later this year. Now the question is—which fight do you want to see more?